Surgical management of metastatic disease to the adrenal gland

Metastatic disease to the adrenal glands can occur in a wide array of malignancies. With the increased use of abdominal imaging, these lesions are diagnosed with more frequency. Diagnostic and laboratory evaluation is essential for the differentiation of benign lesions from primary malignant adrenal tumors or extra-adrenal metastasis. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics, as well as the adjunctive use of immunocytochemical techniques on biopsy specimens, can allow accurate identification of metastatic lesions. Surgical management of metastastic lesions is appropriate in selected patients, primarily when representing the solitary site of metastatic disease. The surgical approach, while debatable, can de done either through open surgery or laparoscopically. Either approach appears comparable in terms of oncologic efficacy in the carefully selected patient, although laparoscopic adrenalectomy is associated with decreased pain and improved convalescence. The surgeon’s skill in laparoscopic technique, appropriate patient selection, and the ability to adhere to oncologic principles, including complete excision without tumor spillage, are of utmost importance when deciding the appropriate surgical intervention

Ocorrência de Campylobacter jejuni em crianças com diarréia e normais em São Paulo, Brasil

Campylobacter jejuni was looked for in the feaces of 262 children, beeing 189 with acute diarrhoea, 31 with chronic diarrhoea and 42 controls. The organism was isolated from 14 (7.4%), 2 (6.5%) and 6 (14.3%) of the children, and each group, respectively.Campylobacter jejuni foi pesquisado nas fezes de 262 crianças, sendo 189 com diarréia aguda, 31 com diarréia crônica e 42 sem sintomatologia gastrintestinal. A bactéria foi encontrada em 14 (7,4%), 2 (6,5%) e 6 (14,3%) das crianças, em cada um dos grupos, respectivamente

Preventing Prostate Biopsy Complications: to Augment or to Swab?

Aims for Improvement The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic prophylaxis associated with the fewest infectious complications following prostate biopsy Determining the safest method allows the Jefferson Department of Urology to modify its biopsy protocol and improve the rate of post-biopsy complication

The Clinical Variability of Maternally Inherited Diabetes and Deafness Is Associated with the Degree of Heteroplasmy in Blood Leukocytes

Context: Maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) is a rare form of diabetes with a matrilineal transmission, sensorineural hearing loss, and macular pattern dystrophy due to an A to G transition at position 3243 of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (m.3243A>G). The phenotypic heterogeneity of MIDD may be the consequence of different levels of mutated mtDNA among mitochondria in a given tissue. Objective: The aim of the present study was thus to ascertain the correlation between the severity of the phenotype in patients with MIDD and the level of heteroplasmy in the blood leukocytes. Participants: The GEDIAM prospective multicenter register was initiated in 1995. Eighty-nine Europid patients from this register, with MIDD and the mtDNA 3243A>G mutation, were included. Patients with MELAS (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes) or with mitochondrial diabetes related to other mutations or to deletions of mtDNA were excluded. Results: A significant negative correlation was found between levels of heteroplasmy and age of the patients at the time of sampling for molecular analysis, age at the diagnosis of diabetes, and body mass index. After adjustment for age at sampling for molecular study and gender, the correlation between heteroplasmy levels and age at the diagnosis of diabetes was no more significant. The two other correlations remained significant. A significant positive correlation between levels of heteroplasmy and HbA1c was also found and remained significant after adjustment for age at molecular sampling and gender. Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that heteroplasmy levels are at least one of the determinants of the severity of the phenotype in MIDD. Heteroplasmy levels are at least one of the determinants of the severity of the phenotype of maternally inherited diabetes and deafness